North Melbourne’s last hope is ‘at snapping point’

North Melbourne’s worst nightmare may already be here with the drama surrounding its prized top draft pick reaching boiling point.

Horne-Francis has come under scrutiny.

There are fears North Melbourne rising star Jason Horne-Francis may walk away from the Kangaroos.

The top draft pick was again the focus following the club’s miserable 49-point loss to the Giants on Sunday where he was involve in two incidents of concern.

The 18-year-old’s future is more clouded than ever after he was seen in a prickly verbal exchange with veteran ruckman Todd Goldstein after the half time siren.

Horne-Francis could also be facing a suspension after collecting Josh Kelly with a late, swinging arm to the jaw on the wing in the third quarter.

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The South Australian product has also been criticised for his defensive work rate in recent weeks.

He raised eyebrows when he liked an Instagram post from Channel 7 that had him in a mock trade scenario suggesting he could be traded for Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters and a swap of picks.

He was also cautioned for flying home to Adelaide without informing the club.

Jason Horne-Francis (left) and Todd Goldstein of the Kangaroos look dejected. Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Sunday’s game has only intensified speculation Horne-Francis may leave the club.

Horne-Francis immediately postponed contract extension negotiations after he was drafted by the club last year.

The Crows — whose offer included three first-round draft picks — and Tigers both made huge offers to North Melbourne in order to snatch the No. 1 pick used on Horne-Francis last year, but the Roos stayed the course.

Now it is unclear if the player will do the same.

Former Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes on Monday said he was worried for the Kangaroos.

“I’m not concerned for him. I’m concerned for North,” Cornes told SEN.

“I’m concerned he pulls the pin and says ‘I’ve had enough’.

“I’m not worried about his long term future in the game or the player that he’s going to be.

“I’m more concerned for North Melbourne that he’s so frustrated with the state of the club that he says, ‘I want to go to Adelaide or Port Adelaide’.”

It comes as football journalist Damian Barrett said Horne-Francis’ relationship with the football club is “at snapping point”.

“He just is not coping with the pressures of being the No. 1 draft pick playing for as bad a team as we’ve seen for 30 years in the AFL system,” he told AFL Media.

“It’s a mess North, as a club, it’s not handling the Jason Horne-Francis part of this season at all well. He’s not handling it either, but let’s face it he’s a young kid in his first season.

“The ramifications of the things that are happening to him in his first season are of issue because of the already rampant talk that he may not be there beyond the first two years of the contract that require him to stay at North Melbourne.

Jason Horne-Francis is set to come under scrutiny by the MRO for this hit on Josh Kelly

“If I’m him I’m not seeing anything that would make me want to stay at the North Melbourne Footy Club.”

North have lost their last 11 games by an average of 60 points, and 10 of their 12 losses have been by 47 points or more.

North Melbourne champion David King on Sunday called for Horne-Francis to “pull his head in”.

“They’ve got a massive issue with the No. 1 pick – he is playing his own game at the moment,” the dual-premiership Kangaroo said on Fox Footy’s First Crack.

“He needs to pull his head in, it’s as simple as that. I know he’s a star factor player.

“He’s abusing his teammates on field. There’s problems with his own game that he’s not really presenting his best footy, yet he’s happy to spray guys that are 300-gamers.

“Here’s Goldstein trying to tap the ball to him, which becomes the source of a heated discussion at half-time.

“Now if you want to learn anything at 18 years of age going into an AFL system, you do not know the lot. You’re not the finished product, so listen to players that are trying to help you.

“It’s a massive issue in his game and it’s a real problem for this kid — from day one that’s been his mannerisms.

“I know you can say he’s frustrated with them not winning, but this abusing your teammates. I think it’s counter productive to what the group are trying to achieve, and I wonder what they’re doing down there to rein that in, because this has been a problem for two months now.”

Originally published as North Melbourne’s last hope is ‘at snapping point’